A Different Diamond
by ephemerahahaha
Summary: Set directly after the events of 'The Trial' episode. Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond's differing opinions, personalities, and ways of coping clashes again, and amidst her grief, Blue reflects on how her relationship with Yellow had changed over time. Angst/Hurt/Comfort with small silly extra credit scenes to soothe the hurt.


A/N: Set directly after the events of 'The Trial' after RQ goes missing. Be warned of the angst ahead. (But there will be some light-hearted silly scenes at the back to cleanse your soul so yay, please read it. please. I spent too long on this.)

X

"My Diamonds, it would appear that the fugitive Rose Quartz still remains at large. The number of Robonoids on patrol has been increased—" Yellow Pearl began, reading off the data screen projected from her pearl. Yellow Diamond raised a hand, interrupting her pearl mid sentence, her expression one of immense displeasure. Yellow Pearl bowed, trembling slightly at the fury that her master was no doubt in.

"That's enough. How is it possible that the increased number of Robonoids has not resulted in the capture of Rose Quartz? This is absolutely absurd." Yellow Diamond remarked, agitated. Her grip on the arm rest of the throne in the room was deathly. Beside her, seated in another throne, Blue Diamond's long sullen face was expressionless, and she was incredibly silent.

"We can increase the number of Quartz soldiers on patrol, My Diamo—" Yellow Pearl began, but was immediately interrupted by Blue Diamond's scathing voice, "She wouldn't have escaped if it weren't for you." Blue Diamond's voice cut through the tension icily. Yellow Pearl's eyes widened in shock, and she retreated back in line with Blue Pearl, who stood a few paces behind.

Yellow Diamond turned to look at the other diamond, a blazing fury in her eyes. "She wouldn't have escaped if it weren't for the silly little trial. We should've just shattered her—" "It was necessary!" Blue Diamond yelled, her voice reverberated through the room. In the distance, the two pearls of the diamonds trembled slightly. Blue Diamond rarely lost her temper, and it was frightening to think what her fury constituted.

"Don't you want to know what really happened to her? We ought to know." Blue Diamond's voice fell into a bare whisper again, her posture bent over in the throne again, as teardrops fell onto her lap. Yellow Diamond sighed, one of immense frustration and agitation, and stood from her throne. She moved to stand in front of Blue Diamond, an unfathomable expression on her face. Waving her hand absentmindedly without even so much of a turn of her head, she dismissed her pearl. Yellow Pearl curtsied, and exited the chambers. "Go, Pearl, leave us alone, please." Blue Diamond's soft voice came, and Blue Pearl dropped into the same curtsy, retreating from the room.

Yellow Diamond darted a glance to where their pearls had stood, making sure that they were alone. "Knowing what happened is only torture again." She muttered, looking down at Blue Diamond seated before her, who resembled nothing of a what a ruler ought to be. Blue Diamond looked up, her watery cyan eyes gazed up at Yellow. She reached out to gently hold Yellow's hand. Yellow remained unflinching, tense, her gaze sharp and full of irritation. There was a moment of silence before Blue said her next words.

"I know you're hurting too, I understand. Just tell me, Yellow. I understand."She murmured, as her thumb slowly circled the back of Yellow's hand. Yellow remained unflinching again, staring down at Blue, and Blue was certain she saw a slight disgust mixed with poignance in her yellow eyes.

"Let me love you, Yellow. We've only got each other now." Blue's voice was nary even a trace of a whisper, her eyes pleading. Yellow shook her head slowly, her eyes never breaking contact with Blue. "No, Blue. I don't think so." Yellow began slowly. "You and I both know very well you can't love me—at least, not who I am, now." She said, her eyes downcast, and far away.

"Let me try at least." Blue pleaded again. Yellow barked out a short laugh, as she took her own hand away from Blue's, folding it neatly behind her back again. Tears had begun to fall from her cyan eyes again, and Yellow turned away from Blue to exit the chamber.

"You already did." Yellow murmured, and left.

X

Left alone in the chamber, Blue Diamond found herself moving to operate her data pad—her actions felt foreign, like some sort of strange autopilot programming encoded within her being that she was not aware of. She pulled up a hologram. It was an image from aeons ago, one of a familiar figure. It was Yellow Diamond, but it was not the Yellow Diamond that had left her alone in the chambers, made up of hard lines and a harshness that was too reminiscent of White Diamond. No, this Yellow Diamond…This Yellow Diamond was much younger, much softer. Her hair was not concealed in a helmet as it were today, and it settled around her face, its colour reminiscent of cornsilk. She was wearing a dress as well, and it matched the cut of dress that the gem beside her wore. It was her, but much younger, her face not as morose, and seemed so much happier…Happiness felt like such a foreign and forgotten nowadays.

Cyan eyes trailed to her own hand which were holding Yellow's. Yellow's cheeks was blushing a deep yellow, and Blue remembered clearly how shy she was when White's Pearl took an image of the two of them. Blue's hand reached out to stroke Yellow's cheek, but her thumb passes cleanly through it. This was the Yellow she first knew.

Blue sighed, leaning back into the seat of her throne, grief paralysing her being like some sort of claw that refused to let her go. She scrolled through the list of locations on Homeworld. She settled on a particular location—a location that was buried deep beneath Homeworld, a location where the modern machineries of Homeworld was built upon, a location that held much meaning to gems like her—the birthplace of diamonds.

It was no longer accessible physically but…Blue touched a button on the projected screen. Instantly, the walls of the chamber changed, and melted into the familiar place—the place where she had first emerged. She remembered the intense heat that felt as though it could incinerate her into nothingness, and then the sharp coldness of the world when she opened her eyes.

Then, she was greeted by another warmth. The warmth of a softest kind of yellow, and an open palm extended towards her as an opening invitation. "Blue Diamond." Yellow's voice was mellow and soft as she welcomed her and Bluer remembered how she felt as though something had struck and reverberated within her, like fingers gently plucking the strings of a harp. Blue had taken Yellow's hand then and the latter pulled to Blue to her feet in one swoop, their gazes never leaving each other. Only when Blue caught sight of the pillar of white that stood towering above the two of them, made Blue stop dead in her tracks, awestruck by this humongous figure.

White Diamond was her name, and as Blue looked up into her light grey eyes that was almost bordering on translucent, she shrank back almost immediately. Looking into White's eyes was nothing like staring into Yellow's—because while Yellow's eyes seemed to have touched the core of her being in the gentlest manner, White's gaze was sharp, and penetrating, like an icicle cutting through slush. It was cold and calculating and Blue could even sense the cogs in the mind of the larger diamond turning and turning, as White looked down at her, and then momentarily, flicker to Yellow, and back to her again.

"Let's head back," White had finally said, and they did. Yellow had offered Blue her arm, and Blue slid her arm through hers gratefully, for her aura and light was so inviting and warm—like a merry fire of a hearth, and as they walked back, Blue couldn't help pressing herself closer to Yellow, enjoying the presence of the other diamond.

X

During the first few days after she had emerged from the mantle of Homeworld, Blue spent much of her time around Yellow. White had disappeared to attend to her duties as the main ruler of Homeworld, leaving the two younger diamonds to their own devices.

Blue had followed Yellow everywhere then, even though Blue wasn't so sure which part of her being had compelled her to be so attracted to Yellow— She felt like a moth being hopelessly attracted to an inviting light source. But Yellow seemed content to tell her about this world Blue had woken up to, and Blue was happy to let Yellow speak, her mind half registering what she had said, the other half of her mind spent admiring Yellow.

And once, they sat down on the steps that descended out into White's courtyard with a large fountain in the middle, with Yellow explaining to Blue about the different kinds of gems and the roles they play in White's court. The quiet susurrus of the flowing water seemed to be a melodic accompaniment to Yellow's voice, but Blue wanted to know more. She interrupted Yellow, her head pressed against Yellow's shoulder. "What about you? I want to know more about Yellow Diamond." She asked, her cyan eyes gazing into Yellow's ochre ones. A deep yellow flush appeared on Yellow's cheeks, and the latter looked away, embarrassed. There was a pause, and then Yellow answered simply, but with a sort of firmness, "We are diamonds, Blue. We were made to rule."

Blue shook her head, frowning. That wasn't what she meant. What she didn't want to know about diamonds, she wanted to know specifically about Yellow herself. But before she could ask again, booming footsteps echoing on the marble floor behind them signalled to the duo the presence of White Diamond. They turned around, staring as the older diamond made her way towards them.

White paused a few paces shy of them, looking down at the young diamonds. "Yellow is right, diamonds were made to be leaders. We were made to rule the other gems." She said. And then, the towering diamond bent down, and gently scooped the two of them into her hands, Yellow seated on her right palm, and Blue on her left. Blue yelped a little at the sudden movement, but sat incredibly still as White held the both of them in front of her, so much so that Blue could see the hard lines written in White's pale face. She looked gaunt, old…and tired.

And then White continued, "But, two halves of a whole, is what the both of you are. When you both rule, you must rule together. That is the undeniable fact." There was a weighted pause, and White continued, "Someday, you both will have a court of your own, and form colonies under your name." A slow smile spread across White's face, and for a moment her grey eyes held a shred of warmth. "But that is for the future. For now, you two still have a lot of training and polishing to do before your reach your fullest potential." And with that, the diamond lowered the two gems onto the floor again slowly, and beside her, Yellow's head had bowed at White's words.

"What do you mean, 'trained and polished'?" Blue asked, confused. White smiled, and merely waved her hand, and suddenly the courtyard rumbled—the pillars shifted to form the outline of an arena, and the fountain that stood in the middle of it all, slowly lowered itself into the ground, rumbling.

"Stay and watch, Blue." White murmured in a low voice as she descended down the stairs, Yellow following her lead. As Yellow strode down the steps and stepped into the arena, she pulled out a long sword with a golden hilt, right from the gem in the middle of her chest. And there, the gems stood facing each other, Yellow's sword drawn in front of her, poised and ready, while White stood towering above her, her expression one of scrutiny.

Blue almost let out an audible gasp as Yellow swung her sword at White in a swift motion. White merely moved out of the way, retaliating with a swipe of her large palm that Yellow only managed to deflect with the blade of her sword. Every movement that Yellow did in counter to White's seemed like much of a gargantuan effort, while White's actions seemed effortless—lazy even. There was no way Yellow could win against White, their difference in size already made sure of that, Blue thought.

Worry gnawed at Blue's side, and she felt as though her being had ceased to exist as her eyes followed each and every movement of Yellow's. Yellow rolled over and repeated her attack again, and pointed her sword at White. An arc of yellow energy pulsed at White—electricity, Blue noted, she wasn't even sure how she knew that, but the hairs on the back of her neck stood on its end—and White raised her hand, and a beam of pure white energy shot out of the gem on her forehead, deflecting Yellow's electricity.

There, they stood, each beam of energy pitted headlong against each other. Yellow gritted her teeth, pushing and shoving with all her might, but the electricity that was arcing out of her sword seemed to waver, wobble and shake…and then stopped altogether as White's energy overtook hers, and pulsed straight at Yellow. Blue cried out, standing involuntarily, her hands outstretched, and there was a look of horror on Yellow's face, and then smoke as Yellow disappeared, leaving a pale yellow diamond clattering unceremoniously onto the arena floor. Blue looked at White in horror, and rushed down the steps to cradle the gem in her hands, kneeling before White.

"What did you do to her?" Blue cried, and felt the tears forming in her eyes. Blue felt a hand on her shoulder, and Blue resisted the urge to shrug it off. "She poofed. Do not worry, young one. Yellow will be back, stronger than she had been previously. It was…necessary." White explained calmly. Blue trembled.

"You didn't have to hurt her." Blue said accusingly. White shook her head slowly. "Like I said, it was necessary. It is the only way we, diamonds can get stronger, sharper, and unbreakable…till they are good enough to rule on their own. Only by using her powers against me, can Yellow get stronger. Only other diamonds can sharpen other diamonds." And Blue felt White gently lift her chin up, and Blue stared into White's grey eyes that was almost bordering on translucent. "And you, too, have to go through that." White said gently. Blue shrank from White, one hand clutching Yellow's gem, and the other on her own gem, her brows knitted in confusion. "I have to summon a weapon too? I don't—" Blue squeezed her eyes in concentration, imagining Yellow's sword, but with a hilt that was silver and blue…Nothing came out.

White chuckled, kneeling beside Blue."You are different from Yellow, Blue. I made you to be a diplomat, a negotiator—I had made sure of that. Your powers…" White's translucent eyes seemed to sharpen for a moment as she stared at Blue again. "You are meant to be a surveyor of emotions. Control and influence emotions. It will be a useful asset in court." She said simply.

Blue blinked, glancing down at her gem. Could she really? It didn't felt like she could. "How do you know that? I'm not even sure if I could…" White's lips curled up knowingly. "Of course I know you can, young one. Knowing things is my power. I sense potential in every gem I see." She touched the gem on her forehead, and Blue's eyes lingered on the gem that seemed almost iridescent in the light.

With that, White rose to her full height, and left the arena, Blue trailing after the older gem like a lost puppy, hugging the yellow diamond close to her.

X

Over the few days, Blue spent most of her time with White trying to explore her powers. Blue discovered that tapping into her powers was rather simple—she just had to simple buckle down and focus. Blue had also learnt that emotions were rather fluid—some were jumbled like a puddle of paint, hard to discern from one another, while some were a tight blanket protecting the jumbled liquid beneath. Yellow's emotions, was particularly like that. White on the other hand, was the most confusing to Blue. White Diamond felt like a blank slate, with nary a mar of any emotions, and it was perplexing to Blue to say the least. All these, Blue learnt whilst sitting behind a veiled screen during White's court meetings with her subordinate gems and as they conversed with White, or with each other, Blue could feel the veritable emotions at play and she slowly grasped the nuance of each emotion and how it felt against her being.

But most importantly, she could feel her own anxiety, like little marbles bouncing off one another and scattering haphazardly around. Blue was anxious to see Yellow again, and she spent every free moment she had entering Yellow's room, and sitting beside Yellow's gem which had been laid on her lounge chair. She did so often that White's quartz soldiers that stood guard outside Yellow's room no longer halt her and asked for authority clearance whenever she showed up.

White had sensed Blue's anxiety, and had assured her that Yellow would reform very soon, but Blue couldn't help herself. She wanted to be the first to see Yellow when she reformed again. White had advised her it would be better if she utilised the time keeping vigil over Yellow's gem exploring and familiarising herself with the layout of Homeworld instead, but what was the use of exploring this city without Yellow by her side? She wanted so badly to feel Yellow's warmth again.

And as Blue gazed at the dormant gem, she felt her gingerly picking up the iridescent yellow gem in her hands, her thumb running over the edges of the gem scintillating under the light of the chambers. Even in her gem form, there was some sort of warmth just looking at Yellow. And suddenly the gem lifted itself out of Blue's hands. Blue flinched at the sudden movement, staring wide eye as the gem glowed mid air. There was a bright light forming the outline of Yellow, and suddenly the diamond appeared. She floated down and kneeled before Blue, her head bowed. Blue squealed involuntarily, and leapt off the lounge chair, tackling Yellow into a hug. Yellow's eyes widened at the sudden gesture, and she let out a laugh, her arms wrapping around Blue as well.

"You didn't have to do that, sitting down here waiting for me to reform. I could have taken centuries." Yellow murmured, and ran her fingers through Blue's hair. Something fluttered within Blue, and she buried her face in the crook of Yellow's neck. "I know that, White told me about poofing. But I just wanted to be the first to see you after you reform. She said you'd look different." Blue replied, and she stood up, pulling Yellow to her feet. Her eyes widened slightly at how much taller she was now… And with some sort of dismay, she realised Yellow was no longer wearing the dress she saw her in the first time—the dress that matched the cutting of her own. Instead she was wearing pants now, a cape that extended from her hips trailed behind her. And there was something about Yellow's form…that made her seem more rigid, and harsher…a chilling familiarity. But Blue brushed that feeling off, choosing instead to croon about how good the other diamond looked, much to the latter's embarrassment.

X

It was only shortly after Yellow's reformation that Blue was scheduled to train with White. It meant that it would be her first time poofing. Yellow had told her beforehand to take her time, and to focus and reflect on her practice with White, and how to improve herself, and settle on a form she felt comfortable with.

"Will you be there when I reform?" Blue had asked coyly the night before her scheduled training with White. Having some free time on their hands, the two diamonds had opted to curl up together on Yellow's lounge chair, with Blue nestled comfortably against Yellow, and Yellow wrapping one arm around the younger diamond.

"You're being coy again." Yellow chided gently, remembering how White's eyebrow had raised when Blue had said something more than flirtatious to Yellow during her training. White had spoken to the both of them in private then, and told the younger diamonds that their closeness would be fine as long as it did not interfere with their training. Both diamonds had been incredibly embarrassed then, blushing furiously.

Yellow smiled at that memory and poked Blue's cheek with her free hand. "But I suppose I can try to be there. It's a twice in a year thing after all, and it's your first time isn't it?" Yellow murmured, and Blue hummed in reply. "But you already are so brilliant…" Yellow murmured again, this time almost imperceptibly, and Blue could sense the darkness that had settled over Yellow. Blue frowned, and placed a hand on Yellow's gem, and a wave of calmness seemed to claim the both of them in its embrace. Yellow eased, the hard line of worry in her face softened. And they remained that way till it was time for them to resume their activities again.

X

Days melded together into a blur of colours as Blue and Yellow trained under White's guidance. There were many things to learn—from court meetings, checking on colonies, building cities of Homeworld to social functions and expanding their own gem power—Yellow and Blue spent much time dedicating themselves to learning the proper ways of a diamond, and every now and then helped each other out—Yellow guided Blue through various calculations needed before establishing a colony that she still didn't understand, and Blue explaining to Yellow the different tactics of subterfuge she might need in court meetings and dealing with troublesome gems that she had gleaned from White.

Sometimes, they would spar in the arena with each other too, although Blue thought it was more like a dance as they flitted between each other, the atmosphere of the room always electric. And somehow, afterwards, they'd lean against each other in the middle of the arena, exhausted. Yellow would then warp them to her room, and despite their exhaustion, they would still find enough energy to engage in other activities that were of the more pleasurable kind.

And then, twice every year, they would spar against White, and they would poof, and each time that either of them did, they were always there for each other once they had reformed. And each subsequent time they had fought against White suddenly didn't seem so much of a burdensome and frightening task anymore. White, the dominant matriarch in their existence, was beginning to feel more like an equal.

And yet, each time Yellow reformed, Blue noticed the difference in Yellow—and it was a difference that seemed to drive a slow wedge between her and Yellow. Yellow grew more distant, more stoic—the brilliance of her gem no longer soft and inviting but harsher and punishing. And Blue didn't understand why the Yellow she once knew was changing, and once when she had tried to confront Yellow about it, Blue was completely shut down by the diamond.

It had hurt, and Blue decided that perhaps it would be the best to never speak of it again. That is until the day when Blue had reformed, anticipating Yellow's presence again, only to be greeted by the surroundings of her empty chambers. Dismay had settled around her shoulders like a shroud, and she wondered why Yellow had failed to be there to greet her.

Blue headed straight for Yellow's room, and was shocked to discover the gem slumped in one corner of her room, her sword laying haphazard to one side, her face of utter exhaustion, the ghostly image of the hologram gem she used for sparing sneering down at her. "Yellow! Are you hurt?" The diamond cried out, kneeling beside her in an instant. "No." She answered, and Yellow reapplied she must have missed the timing that Blue would reform. "You look wonderful by the way. Sorry I forgot to be there." She muttered, smiling weakly at Blue's new form.

Blue felt tears welling in her eyes. "What happened, Yellow? Tell me, please? What's wrong?" Blue pleaded, her hands on Yellow's arm and Yellow stiffened under Blue's grasp, still turned away from Blue. "Stop it." Yellow growled suddenly, and Blue flinched, Yellow's words cut through her like a sword through flesh. "Control your powers…It-It's…" Yellow stammered, and Blue saw the tears that were flowing from Yellow's eyes—tears that the said diamond was trying her hardest to blink away.

Her control over her emotion manipulation must have slipped, and Blue remembered how White had remarked once that her own emotions could influence others if left unchecked or restrained, which White pointed out, was not ideal for court discussions nor negotiations. Blue must have been influencing Yellow's emotions somehow, and seeing how the other diamond disliked it, Blue closed her eyes and focused on reigning her own emotions in. She imagined the wave of calmness claiming her like a wave claiming a seashell lying on the beach…and Blue rubbed her eyes, aware that her own tears had stopped, the tumultuous mix of feelings tucked firmly under the blanket of calmness.

And yet, when she opened her eyes to look at Yellow again, tears still stained her face. What was going on? And as if reading Blue's thoughts, Yellow scrubbed at her cheeks angrily. "I don't want you to see me like this." She said, a hint of anger in her voice. "It's hurting me to see you like this too, Yellow. Tell me, what's wrong?" Blue murmured quietly, and reached out to clasp Yellow's hands in hers. There was silence, and Blue could see contemplation in the other diamond's eyes, pondering and weighing something—what it was, Blue wasn't sure.

"It's not fair that you were made so naturally valuable and powerful." Yellow began quietly after a few moments of silence. Blue looked up at the other gem, startled and confused. Yellow looked away, and took her hand away from Blue, wrapping her arms around her knees instead.

"I was made in the image of White. I was supposed to be the only other diamond—the younger White Diamond that ruled alongside her. But I came out as Yellow Diamond. I don't have mind powers like the both of you. I can only calculate and manipulate things this much, and have this—" Yellow paused and gestured to the forgotten sword lying beside her. "—this sword as my only weapon. And yet I'm supposed to be a leader…A diamond. How can I?" Yellow's voice had trailed off into a whisper.

A jolt ran through Blue at Yellow's words. This wasn't something she had known. She had thought they were made together, one after another, and made to be trained together and rule together. Together was something she thought that they were meant to be, and there was no other reason for it, because it was the way it was meant to be. She didn't know…She didn't know that there were other reasons.

"I don't like how you're made because of my incompetence." Yellow's voice came again, this time hollower. Blue shook her head. Blue had never seen Yellow as incompetent. "You aren't incompetent. We're two halves of a whole, aren't we? White said that. So what you can't do, I can. But this also means, what I can't do, you can." Blue murmured, and Yellow's downcast eyes flickered to look at Blue in shock.

Blue let out a nervous laugh. "Half of the time I have no idea what any of those colony equations mean, or how to use it. I always thought it's fine because you'd always be there to explain to me. I need you as much as you think you need me, Yellow." She confessed,and a deep blue tint appeared on her cheeks. Yellow blinked blankly, and then pulled Blue into an embrace, and pressed a kiss on her lips. Blue shivered, realising how Yellow was no longer as warm as she first remembered her. And her brilliance…was resembling more and more of White's. Hard and harsh, the yellows of her clothes and form sharper and darker than Blue had ever seen before.

Blue had thought everything would be fine after their little moment, and yet she was wrong. The small cracked crevice that had formed between the both of them had slowly split into the yawning chasm with each subsequent reformation. Soon, with the ticking of time, they no longer awaited for each other to reform, and the private moments that they had shared soon became a thing of the past, just like how the young Yellow that Blue was used to, had became a thing of the past too.

They rarely even seen each other now, as the setting up of their own courts swamped them, and took up much of their time. Their tutelage under White Diamond was approaching an end, as both Yellow and Blue Diamond had reached their peak form that White was satisfied with, with Yellow standing a little taller than her, her brilliance as harsh as White's now—so much that Blue could not help but avert her gaze each time she looked at Yellow.

Harsh and blinding was not something she had wished Yellow had become, but she did, just as how Blue too did too, albeit her brilliance was more mellow than Yellow's. White was content with that—Blue was a diplomat after all. It wouldn't do good for a diplomat to come across as too threatening. And secretly, once or twice, Blue had wished she was not made a diamond, and such that spending time with Yellow would not sharpen her beloved into this hard, unmoving stone that seemed to be able to cut through everything at once, including Blue.

X

"My peridots have evaluated that the mantle of Homeworld near one of my cities is ready and primed to produce another diamond. We could have another diamond—it would aid in colonisation efforts but…" Blue's voice trailed off, glancing between the disgruntled expression on Yellow's face beside her and the emotionless one on White's through the hologram. Rarely had they gathered like this, ever since Yellow and Blue had begun to rule their own courts, but this was a matter of utmost concern. A new diamond in the Great Diamond Authority meant that the expansion of gem kind in the galaxies would be accelerated, but spending time to cultivate a new diamond would prove to be quite taxing, if the years of training White had spent on the two of them had proven anything.

"Are you kidding me? Another diamond? I disapprove. I think we should just go ahead with the original plan of building a kindergarten." Yellow spoke, a scowl on her face. "But this is such a rare opportunity. The conditions needed to produce a diamond does not come by this easily. I suggest we should seize this good opportunity to make another one of our kind." Blue reasoned, clasping her hands together. Yellow turned away from Blue, a noise of disgust escaped from her throat.

There was silence as the two of them waited in trepidation for White to speak. The hologram flickered as White turned her head to face the two of them, her ancient eyes regarding the two of them expressionlessly and she murmured, "I think a new diamond would be good for the two of you. Make her, Blue."

"What!" Yellow exclaimed, standing up from her throne beside Blue's, and Blue could feel her fury emanating in waves, and Blue cringed. Blue had thought she had gotten used to Yellow's temper and agitation over thousands of years, but every time the other diamond would surprise her.

"How are we going to deliver her to you for training? You're in another star system, almost a trillion light years—" Yellow's voice boomed, and White raised a hand, and Yellow's voice died down. "You two will be responsible for training." She said. This time, Blue's voice was congruent with Yellow's as they both exclaimed, "What?" in harmony, staring at the hologram in shock.

"We- we can't possibly…" Blue began shakily, and Yellow muttered in agreement, "We are way too busy for this."

A slow smile spread across White's gaunt face. "I managed, by myself. And, there are two of you. I think you should manage better than I did. Besides, I think the two of you ought to learn a thing or two about training a diamond. She won't be the last of our kind—I'm sure there are more places out there with conditions suitable to produce a diamond. This would serve as an excellent form of training for you both as well." White said, a tone of finality in her voice. "I believe that will be all." White ended, and with that the hologram sputtered out with some sort of mocking finality.

X

For the past thousand years, both Yellow and Blue had rarely been around each other that much, each busy with the affairs of their own court separately, only calling upon each other when some sort of problem arises—usually when Yellow needed a softer intervention to a problem, or when Blue required more brute and force to handle her opponents.

And yet, because of this new diamond, they were together again, barking out orders to their own courts to ensure that this new diamond would emerge in the best conditions possible. And soon, they were together again, standing before the site that was determined as the place where she was to emerge, waiting patiently for the new diamond to surface.

And when Pink Diamond first appeared, they both pulled her to her feet together, as her soft pink eyes gazed up in wonder at the both of them, and Blue felt a strange swell of pride and excitement in her. She had darted a glance at Yellow, and saw that her expression had softened minutely, and something within Blue fluttered again.

And because of Pink, the two halves of a whole were together again— when they explained things to Pink, when they sent her through the paces of her first poofing. And for many brief moments they were together, they had laughed and smiled, recalling their own first times as well. Pink soon became the very thing that brought Blue and Yellow together, unbeknownst to the young diamond. In fact, Blue remembered the two of them actually sitting down together to discuss Pink's training, using their own experiences as a guide. They both agreed unanimously that they both had secretly desired for more free reign, each remembering the strict schedule that White gave them.

And thus, they decided that Pink would be given more free reign— and they allowed the young diamond to design and create a new line of soldiers, Rose Quartzes, and having her own Pearl (a gift that even White had a hand in designing, apart from both Yellow and Blue's input) way before she was even close to being ready to be a ruler. And perhaps, looking back, it was a mistake to have done so, for Pink's demands grew bigger and bigger, and Yellow and Blue found themselves in the face of Pink's cries for a colony of her own.

Both of them shared a knowing look each time, rejecting Pink's demands time and again, until her persistence wore thin on the both of them. Blue was seated beside Yellow on her lounge chair as they perused through the list of planets in this new, untouched solar system the diamonds were venturing into. A brief analysis on how difficult it would be to colonise each available planet was already made, and it seemed Earth would be the simplest.

"Are you sure we should do this?" Yellow asked. Blue leaned her head on Yellow's shoulder, just like how she always did from the moment she had began to exist. "White does not seem to disapprove of this. I think it would be good practice for her too. This Earth, seems simple enough to colonise."came Blue's quiet reply. Thus, they both presented Earth as Pink's first colony, much to the delight of the younger gem.

Everything had went fine at first, but Pink began to cry for help. Difficult cities, too many organics, and then this absurd group called Crystal Gems. It didn't make sense to both of Blue and Yellow. Earth was an easy colony, how could Pink dream of colonising more planets if she couldn't even colonise this tiny speck of dust? They had both decided to lecture Pink, telling her to solve her own problems, and left it at that— something that soon became a source of plaguing guilt for the two older diamonds, for Pink would not have been shattered by the traitorous Rose Quartz, if they had done more.

Regret and grief paralysed Blue, and no matter how hard she tried to shake it off, it was like a sticky web clinging onto her entire being. Yellow's grief had transformed into pure fury and she worked herself into a frenzy, determined to incinerate this blasted planet in the worst possible way. And White, grieved too, Blue was sure of that, when they gathered for the first time in many years to corrupt the damned planet. Blue had felt her own grief, and the grief of two other diamonds like a weight against her own as the three of them set to corrupt the planet. And then White was gone, distancing herself further than ever, that Blue recognised as the older diamond's own form of grieving.

Five thousand years, and the shattering of Pink seemed to have shattered their relationship with each other as well, as darkness and distance settled on the three of them like a burial shroud.

X

Blue clutched her chest, feeling the pain that gripped her, tears rolling down her face again. She had tried so hard to forget, but she was not strong in the way that Yellow was. The claws of grief would not let her go, as much as the regret that plagued her. Diamonds were meant to be perfect, but she and Yellow had failed to be perfect in their training with Pink. They had failed her. And their failure costed the young diamond her existence. And not just that—it cost Blue of her relationship with Yellow, their ways of grieving in conflict as much as their personalities had conflicted.

"I knew you'd still be here." A familiar voice suddenly called out, and Blue flinched, shaken out of her reverie and brought back to reality. The hologram of young Yellow had cast a ghostly light in the darkness of the chambers, her smiling face a stark contrast against the same, yet so different one towering above Blue and the hologram.

Yellow had returned to the chambers that Blue had shut herself in, and there she was, peering down at Blue, her hands clasped behind her back. A jolt seemed to run through Blue's being again, for Yellow's face softened a little, and she caught a glimpse of the Yellow she had once loved aeons ago. It was the Yellow that was not made of hard lines, straight posture and ridges that seemed so sharp they felt like they could cut through Blue's very form.

Yellow gave her a smile, a poignant one that was so much older and tired than the hologram's, and for once, Blue felt as though she was the one at the mercy of emotion manipulation instead. Yellow extended her hand—it cut through the hologram—the hologram sputtered, and warped, and then went out completely. Blue's eyes widened slightly at Yellow's offered hand. Cyan eyes looked away, downcast, remembering the pinprick of painful, old memories she had seeped herself in just a few moments ago.

"Do you hate me, Yellow? For always being so emotional." Blue whispered in the darkness, looking up at Yellow, her blue eyes watery. There was silence as Yellow gazed down at Blue unfathomably, her poignant smile a lingering feature on the hardened face of the other diamond."How can I? We're two halves of a whole, Blue. If anything, I apologise for always being too hard on you." Yellow murmured and paused, looking thoughtful. Blue felt a wave of sadness that did not belong to her wash over her being, and Blue trembled slightly at how much it hit her.

"Teach me how to grief, Blue." Yellow said, her hand still extended in an offer. And like many aeons ago, Blue took it, pulling herself to her feet as she murmured to Yellow, "As long as you teach me how to be strong again."

X

Omake on Crack 1:

"Lesson Number One in being strong." Yellow began, her posture straight, hands folded behind her back as she walked in front of the rows of holographic mini versions of herself. "DESTROY EVERYTHING IN SIGHT!" The diamond hollered, and as if to demonstrate, she raised her hand and electricity arced towards the entire row of targets, exploding every single hologram.

Blue nodded, a determined expression on her face as she summoned a row of miniature holographic Blue Diamonds. She raised her hand, mimicking Yellow's posture. "Destroy everything in sight!" She copied Yellow's yell, and as blue energy arced towards the entire row of targets, she braced herself for the explosion…only for the entire row of targets to break into a howl of anguish as all of them dropped to their knees, bawling holographic tears.

"Oops." Blue whispered, twiddling her thumbs together guiltily as Yellow face palmed.

X

Omake on Crack 2:

"What is all this…water?" Yellow Pearl asked in disgust, and she was rightfully so. The outside of the diamond's chambers was flooded with water that almost reached the height of the warp pad she was on, and Yellow Pearl was pretty sure that if she stepped off the pad into the water, it would reach her knees. She looked up, and in the distance, she saw Blue Pearl rowing a small paddle boat towards her, all dressed in a raincoat. "Blue Pearl? What is the meaning of this?" She asked when the other Pearl drew near to her in her boat.

"My Diamond is teaching Yellow Diamond how to grief." She said softly, and extended one free hand towards Yellow Pearl as the latter stepped into the boat. "Grief?" Yellow Pearl questioned, pulling her face, trying to imagine her diamond weeping. It seemed wrong…It was something that seemed more suited for Blue diamond.

"Yes…by watching 'Titanic', 'The Notebook' and… 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' I think. They are also reading written material by this organic called John Green." Blue Pearl murmured quietly as she began paddling back to the entrance of the diamond chambers.

"That explains." Yellow Pearl grumbled begrudgingly.

X

A/N: This was a little head cannon I had that delves more into the role of a diamond as well as to explore the relationship of bellowdiamond. Most of the mechanics I had written, such as diamonds needing to poof at least twice a year to become 'better' was based off the fact that diamonds IRL needed to be polished twice a year. I also made it such that the diamonds sparred with one another because IRL only another diamond can sharpen the other diamond, and in this case, sharpening results in poofing, which results in them becoming stronger.

I also wrote YD as the 'lesser' version of WD because again, IRL yellow diamonds are like the less superior versions of 'white' aka clear diamonds due to the impurities present in them + was a good opportunity for me to paint YD as a much more vulnerable and less stoic person she is in the show. Which I enjoy. (((Fite me)))

And BD was stated as 'more valuable' in the story too because IRL, they are way more expensive also. Another minor thing, which was the scene where BD instantaneously recognises YD's powers as electricity was based off this article I read that blue diamonds were conductors of electricity. I apologize if any of these stuff I based it off is inaccurate, because I have the attention span of a tiny child and didn't really felt like reading things into detail.

Also I admit that I made YD/BD act like a pair of lovesick teens, but I couldn't resist writing them as such. I just feel that their relationship in cannon was that of an old married couple-the kind of couple that loved each other so disgustingly much, and then slowly fizzle out, but still remain together through thick and thin anyway.

Feel free to fite me on some of these stuff, aaaand if you got through this wall of author's notes, have a virtual cookie and a pat on the back.

Any reviews/likes would be welcomed :) (Also I hope you enjoyed the omakes aka xtra credit scenes I was very amused by myself writing them)


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